Realistic
depiction of a kneeling human figure that most likely came from an Upper
Egyptian burial.The breasts and hair
clearly indicate a female, who carries an open conical beaker on her head.It is unclear whether this would represent
some ritual act in favour of the deceased, or merely indicate a fact of everyday
life; women in ancient as well as modern Egypt routinely retrieved water by carrying the vessel on their heads. There
may be a small cushion under the vessel in order to stabilize the vessel. The
figure’s face is round with smooth cheeks. The eyes, eyebrows and mouth are
crudely incised. She has a large nose with two holes for the nostrils. The shoulder-length
hair is applied in separate strands, clearly visible in the back. Her arms are
simple rolls of clay without hands.The
right arm curves up to hold the vessel, while the left arm is not as high and
is bent at the hand. She has drooping
breasts which suggest that she is an older woman. The figure is rounded off at
the knees with no separation between the thighs which suggests that the figure is meant to be wearing a dress or skirt.